Bridging the Digital Divide Between the Left and Capitalism, an Urgent Mission for Left Movements
*- Found at
- https://libcom.org/article/bridging-digital-divide-between-left-and-capitalism-urgent-mission-left-movements
- Written by
- Rezgar Akrawi
The struggle for socialist liberation in the 21st century cannot rely on the tools of the previous century
The left, in contrast, suffers from a decline in its presence, a narrowing scope of influence, and in some cases, a complete lack of a clear digital vision
This article serves as an initial contribution to a critical socialist vision of artificial intelligence from the perspective of the digital left. It considers both how AI deepens capitalist dominance and how it might be explored as a tool for liberation within a socialist framework.
Artificial intelligence should not be seen as a threat in itself, but as a new battlefield shaped by the balance of social, political, economic, and intellectual forces.
In times of crisis, capitalism reinvents and restructures itself using advanced scientific and technological tools
Governments and large corporations accelerated their use of automation, artificial intelligence, and remote work, allowing the capitalist economy to persist using new methods despite global lockdowns
In this digital era, knowledge, data, and information have become critical production resources. They are being exploited to reinforce capitalist control. This makes the ownership of technology and control over information flows vital factors in modern class conflict. The means of production are no longer limited to factories, farms, and offices. Data and algorithms are now central to reproducing capitalist dominance invisibly—by controlling public opinion and guiding social behavior.
Capitalism now possesses an unparalleled ability to dominate the digital sphere, shape public consciousness, direct information, and suppress any alternative movement. If this gap remains, the left will continue to face digital exclusion and restriction, limiting its capacity to organize, influence, and present its humanist alternatives.
The real strength of any progressive leftist movement does not lie solely in its tools—important as they are—but in its organized human force capable of using those tools to achieve its goals. Artificial intelligence and technology can enhance the capacities for struggle, organization, and mobilization, but they can never replace solidarity, political organization, or grassroots action. These remain the primary drivers of real, lasting change. Digital tools should complement—not replace—direct political struggle.
The problem is not with artificial intelligence itself, but with its monopolization by capitalist powers and its redeployment to deepen class conflict
This struggle is not just about understanding the structure of digital dominance. It is about penetrating the digital fortress of capitalism, not standing at its gates and shouting from outside. Just as Marx and Engels turned the sciences of their time into tools against capitalism, the left today must become an active force in this arena—not a passive observer or submissive user within the digital capitalist system
1. Elsewhere
1.1. In my garden
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